China’s Taiwan Affairs Office yesterday announced that it would allow residents of Chongqing, Kunming and Nanchang to transit at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport for flights to a third country, adding that the trial run is the result of Chinese President Xi Jingping’s (習近平) meeting with President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).
The announcement was released by Xinhua news agency on its Web site.
Xinhua said residents of the three cities would be able to board transit flights in Taiwan with their passports, interline tickets and boarding pass for a flight to a third country — after both sides finish preparatory work.
Nanchang is in Jiangxi Province, Chongqing is in Sichuan Province and Kunming is in Yunan Province.
The Mainland Affairs Council welcomed China’s decision.
“During his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in November last year, President Ma Ying-jeou expressed an earnest hope that China could agree to the much-anticipated proposal at the earliest date,” the council said in a news release.
After the Ma-Xi meeting in Singapore on Nov. 7 last year, the council and the Straits Exchange Foundation continued to negotiate with China on the issue through several channels, the council said.
“We are glad to see China’s goodwill response,” it said.
Foundation vice chairman Chou Ji-shiang (周繼祥) said it has always been the government’s policy that Chinese air travelers should be allowed to board transit flights in Taiwan as is customary with international flights.
Beijing’s decision was acceptable, although the government hopes that all Chinese travelers would be allowed to do so, he said.
The two sides have discussed the policy for a long time, and Taiwan was hoping that the policy could be implemented last year, but China chose to wait until close to the Jan. 16 elections, Chou said.
Presidential Office spokesman Charles Chen (陳以信) said Ma was glad that China launched the program.
“President Ma recognizes China’s sincerity in putting into practice the consensuses they reached during the meeting. He also notes that the current cross-strait peace and prosperity have not come easily and hopes his successor can maintain and cherish these hard-won achievements,” Chen said.
China Airlines and EVA Airways welcomed the decision.
“We hope that the policy could quickly apply to residents in other cities in China after the trial run is over,” EVA Airways said, which has flights between Taoyuan and Chongqing.
China Airlines has flights to Nanchang from Taoyuan and Kaohsiung.
Taoyuan International Airport Corp (桃園國際機場股份有限公司) said that it is ready to handle transit passengers from China.
NO HUMAN ERROR: After the incident, the Coast Guard Administration said it would obtain uncrewed aerial vehicles and vessels to boost its detection capacity Authorities would improve border control to prevent unlawful entry into Taiwan’s waters and safeguard national security, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday after a Chinese man reached the nation’s coast on an inflatable boat, saying he “defected to freedom.” The man was found on a rubber boat when he was about to set foot on Taiwan at the estuary of Houkeng River (後坑溪) near Taiping Borough (太平) in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), authorities said. The Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) northern branch said it received a report at 6:30am yesterday morning from the New Taipei City Fire Department about a
IN BEIJING’S FAVOR: A China Coast Guard spokesperson said that the Chinese maritime police would continue to carry out law enforcement activities in waters it claims The Philippines withdrew its coast guard vessel from a South China Sea shoal that has recently been at the center of tensions with Beijing. BRP Teresa Magbanua “was compelled to return to port” from Sabina Shoal (Xianbin Shoal, 仙濱暗沙) due to bad weather, depleted supplies and the need to evacuate personnel requiring medical care, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Jay Tarriela said yesterday in a post on X. The Philippine vessel “will be in tiptop shape to resume her mission” after it has been resupplied and repaired, Philippine Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who heads the nation’s maritime council, said
REGIONAL STABILITY: Taipei thanked the Biden administration for authorizing its 16th sale of military goods and services to uphold Taiwan’s defense and safety The US Department of State has approved the sale of US$228 million of military goods and services to Taiwan, the US Department of Defense said on Monday. The state department “made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale” to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US for “return, repair and reshipment of spare parts and related equipment,” the defense department’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a news release. Taiwan had requested the purchase of items and services which include the “return, repair and reshipment of classified and unclassified spare parts for aircraft and related equipment; US Government
More than 500 people on Saturday marched in New York in support of Taiwan’s entry to the UN, significantly more people than previous years. The march, coinciding with the ongoing 79th session of the UN General Assembly, comes close on the heels of growing international discourse regarding the meaning of UN Resolution 2758. Resolution 2758, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1971, recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the “only lawful representative of China.” It resulted in the Republic of China (ROC) losing its seat at the UN to the PRC. Taiwan has since been excluded from
RSS